This is an original post from The Zero Waste Home.

When I moved to the US, I dreamed of living in a large home. Mansions as seen on TV, represented my American dream.

When Scott and I bought our first house, we indulged my aspirations. But after seven years of living large, varied circumstances led us to move into a house half the size. The move presented logistical challenges and I worried about “status”, but I was excited about change.

Today, I have completely embraced small living, and could not even envision going back to big (I actually dream of smaller). I have come to learn that bigger is not necessarily better.

Here are areas that I have found our small house has improved:

1. Family bonds: We brush our teeth together, eat together, watch movies together, and even bump into each other ;), which sometimes turns into a wrestle (my fave).

2. Housekeeping efficiency: Five minutes to pick up, two hours to deep clean. Cleaning used to take all day, now it takes a morning.

3. Home maintenance cost: Although everything gets used more, there is less in quantity to break, and therefore less to repair. We can also easily stay on top of repairs.

4. Community exchange: We reach out to friends or community for seldomly used items. Today I sent out an email for a pair of hiking boots size 6, by the end of the day, I had located two pairs (Thanks Tina and Mary!)

5. Utilities cost: A smaller house is evidently cheaper to heat and light, but also cheaper to retrofit (e.g., insulation, windows, and solar).

6. Space optimization: We use all the available space. I used to have a guest bedroom in my previous home. It required year round cleaning and heating, for only a couple of uses per year. Today, we simply offer the kids’ bedroom to guests, and the kids get excited about camping in their playroom!

7. Home security: I definitely feel safer in a small home. I know every nook and cranny of the house. A monster cannot hide in the closet:)

8. Ecological impact: It makes Zero Waste manageable. “Less space, less stuff, less waste”, Leo once said.

9. Residency options: For us, downsizing has afforded a spot within walking distance of great schools and an active downtown – after we were told that there was no availability in our price range.

10. Parental awareness: We used intercoms (baby monitors) in the old house. Now we can hear each other sneeze across the house. We might have to move when the kids become sexually active;)

11. Health: For two reasons…1) A smaller space is easier to clean, which means that dust does not linger in hard to reach places; and, 2) A small house encourages outdoor activity – in the summer, my deck becomes my office.

12. Stuff management: Stuff has been easier to manage in a small home for 3 reasons

• Consumption: Small spaces control the amount of stuff coming into the house. In my old house, I bought furniture just to fill large rooms. Now, we focus on double duty and functional items.

• Organization (once you have decluttered): It’s easy to put things away, easy to find things.

• Access: It’s even easy to get to things (closer distances).

When I asked the kids, what their thoughts were on living in a small house… Max replied: “You can’t play hide-and-seek.” That’s one drawback that doesn’t seem to bother him though, because he is already talking about building his own tiny house someday.

And that would make One Proud Mama.